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Another summer well spent – Vacation researchers

Congratulations to our completing 2016-17 summer vacation students who withstood the temptation to hit the beach during the working week over summer, and put their head down to learn some essential research skills as part of an internship with the Centre. Pictured are five of our summer students, all supervised by Dr Camille Short.

JosieMiller and Jing Qian worked on a project with the Mind and Brain group at SAHMRI examining strategies to increase user engagement with a depression monitoring mobile APP called goAct that collects real-time sensory data and self-reporting data. Retaining participants for such e-health applications is known to be challenging, likely due to the cognitive burden of the need to regularly interact with it but also a major symptom of depression is lack of motivation.

MeganMcIntosh worked on men’s experiences with treatment for prostate cancer, and in doing so identified a gap in the literature in which she will now pursue in her Honours year as the Paddy O’Rourke Honours scholarship awardee. CelineChong is close to finishing and we will report on her placement in the next Newsletter.

Irene Nikoloudakis was active preparing manuscripts on the outcomes of research she has been undertaking with Dr Short over the last 12 months looking at whether tailoring health promotion messages, such as those related to physical activity, based on one’s need for cognition (a person’s tendency to engage in effortful cognitive activities) is effective in motivating health behaviour change or in influencing the theoretical determinants of behaviour change (e.g., intentions, understanding and knowledge).

We wish all students the best for this academic year, and congratulate Irene on being offered a legal clerkship.